Rastons: A Medieval Pastry Disguised as Bread
Rastons straddle a delicious line: enriched like a pastry (eggs, sometimes sugar) yet shaped and served like bread—often sliced into thick sops for broth, milk, or wine. This version comes from Harleian MS 279 (c. 1430) and was featured in the Baronial 12th Night Feast (2019).
Bread or pastry? I lean “both.” The eggs and butter push it toward pastry, but the table role is very bread-like—especially when used as sops. I’ll let you continue the debate. 😉
Original & Modern Translation
.xxv. Rastons.—Take fayre Flowre, & þe whyte of Eyroun, & þe ȝolke, a lytel; þan take Warme Berme, & putte al þes to-gederys, & bete hem to-gederys with þin hond tyl it be schort & þikke y-now, & caste Sugre y-now þer-to, & þenne lat reste a whyle; þan kaste in a fayre place in þe oven, & late bake y-now; & þen with a knyf cutte yt round a-boue in maner of a crowne, & kepe þe cruste þat þou kyttyst; & þan pyke al þe cromys withynne to-gederys, an pike hem smal with þin knyf, & saue þe sydys & al þe cruste hole with-owte; & þan caste þer-in clarifiyd Boter, & Melle þe cromeȝ & þe botere to-gedereȝ, & keuere it a-ȝen with þe cruste; þan putte it in þe ovyn aȝen a lytil tyme; & þan take it out, & serue it forth.
25. Rastons. Take fine flour with egg whites and a little yolk; add warm barm (yeast in ale), beat together until thick. Add sugar and let rest. Bake. Cut off a “crown,” crumble the inside, mix the crumbs with clarified butter, refill, replace the crown, bake briefly again, and serve.
How I’m serving it here: instead of the butter-crumb refill, I bake as a soft round and slice into sops for broth and pottages.
